Militant suspected of firing rockets into Israel is handed over to Lebanese army by Hamas

BEIRUT (AP) — Hamas has handed over a militant suspected of firing rockets into northern Israel, the Lebanese Army said on Sunday.

The Palestinian group turned over the suspect, who the Lebanese military only identified by the initials M.G., at the entrance of the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, in the southern city of Sidon. The army says the militant was suspected of being involved in two rocket launches into Israel in March.

The Mediterranean country’s top military body Friday warned Hamas that it would face the “harshest measures” if it carried out any attacks from Lebanon, weeks after several Lebanese and Palestinians were detained on suspicion of firing rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel. Both attacks, months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect last November, were met with widespread Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon and in southern Beirut.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, the Palestinian militant group has carried out several attacks against Israel from Lebanon, where it has an armed presence. Israel has since carried out airstrikes that have killed several Hamas officials, including senior military chief Saleh Arouri in Beirut.

The low-level fighting in southern Lebanon between the Hezbollah group and Israel escalated months later, with Israel assassinating much of the Hezbollah leadership, including long-time secretary general Hassan Nasrallah. More than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon.

Israel still controls five hilltop points in southern Lebanon and has been critical of Hezbollah not being fully disarmed yet, and claims the group is trying to rearm in the south. Hezbollah says its military presence in southern Lebanon has subsided as per the ceasefire agreement, and has criticized Israel for its continued strikes in the area.